


K2

by yellowbound



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: F/M, Modern AU, Mountaineering, in which kay gets to be a mountain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-11-18 17:33:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11295405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yellowbound/pseuds/yellowbound
Summary: Jyn and Cassian at the base of the world's second-highest mountain.





	K2

**Author's Note:**

> This is just an excuse to write about Cassian's blue jacket. And I've watched way too many documentaries on climbing Everest and K2 recently.

If Jyn was being honest with herself, she was pretty sure she was only here to spite her parents.

“I’m going to climb K2,” she had said, and stomped out of the house.

They kept sending her messages, asking her not to go through with her plan, but they hadn’t cut off her source of money. They correctly figured that even if they had, Jyn would find another source.

The problem with K2 is that the mountain killed a fourth of the people who tried to climb it. The second-highest peak in the world behind Everest, it was a far more technical, challenging climb, in a more remote area. Just getting to the base required days of arduous hiking.

While Jyn was an experienced climber, she wasn’t out to get herself killed, which is why she had never climbed anything like K2 (or even the comparatively easy Everest, for that matter). The hobby had started in college, and became less of a hobby and more of a career tract when her plans to follow both parents in some way had come crashing down in a terrible jumble.

The landscape at base camp was achingly beautiful, rocks and wind, snow and sun, little life except for the various groups of climbers and their support teams.

When she had gotten to the base of the mountain, Jyn had announced her intention to stay at base camp. Han Solo, her team leader, hadn’t seemed terribly surprised. Han was the one who got Jyn started in college, and he had been taken aback when she had tole him she wanted to go on the trip to K2, though he knew better than to tell Jyn no. Han assured Jyn he was happy to have her expertise at base camp for anyone who needed it.

Walking carefully across camp, Jyn found Han yelling at a thin man, a little shorter than Han. Jyn was still at a distance, but she knew it was Cassian Andor by his parka, blue and fur-lined. She had never met the man before but the elite mountaineering community was small, and she knew of him. He was one of the few people who had successfully climbed K2 and come back down. He was here, leading his own team, though Jyn understood he was not going to climb. He was here in support, a man who knew the mountain as well as anyone.

“Look, just because you think you know this mountain, doesn’t give you the right to go bossing people around,” Han growled, a finger pointed at Cassian’s chest.

Cassian moved closer, making Han’s finger uncomfortably close. Jyn was amused, she had not seen someone besides herself use that with Han. “That’s my point,” Cassian’s voice was a lot softer than Han’s, “I don’t know much about the mountain - no one does. You want to find your own way up, that’s fine, but you can’t assume it’s safer.”

“At least I won’t have to go through the bottleneck.”

Cassian shrugged. “So? At least you know the dangers of the Bottleneck. With your route, you don’t know if you’ll find something worse.” The dangers of the Bottleneck - falling rocks, ice and people - were well documented.

“That’s a chance I’m willing to take.”

“Han,” said Jyn, cutting in, “we’ve discussed this. The normal route up the mountain is the best way to go.” She wondered why he was suddenly declaring he was going a different way.

“His team,” Han spat, indicating Cassian, “means there will be too many people trying to go up the same route at the same time. Any sort of delays mean we won’t make it.”

Timing mattered immensely - the weather on K2 was unpredictable and fierce, white-outs and hurricane-force winds were both common occurrences. A few hours could make the difference in a successful climb versus never making it down alive.

“It’s the route you planned for, it would be too dangerous to change now. More climbers mean more support - if you work together to fix the lines, you’ll get there faster.”

Han looked at her, then back to Cassian, who had been watching her with fascination. “If your team is willing to work together…”

“I wouldn’t have taken anyone who wasn’t.” This type of mountaineering was expensive and high pressure, where everyone’s lives were on the line. Jyn was glad to hear that Cassian was selective with his team. Cassian’s attention turned from Han to Jyn. “Does that work for you?”

“I won’t be climbing,” was Jyn’s response. Cassian’s eyes widened in surprise.

“She’s ground support,” Han clarified.

“To talk sense into you,” said Cassian. Jyn could’ve sworn there was amusement in his voice.

In another circumstance, Han probably would’ve pointed out the absurdity of Jyn talking sense into anyone, but before Cassian, he said only, “She is good at it.” Jyn knew what Han was doing - trying to give her more say in the politics that can play out in such an isolated situation, and she appreciated it. “Andor, this is Jyn Erso,” he added, finally remembering to introduce them.

“Cassian Andor,” Cassian said, taking off his glove to shake her hand. He had the firm, strong grip of a man whose life depended on one.

“We should get going, see Chewie about supplies,” Han said, ending the meeting.

“Nice to meet you,” Cassian said to Jyn, as she and Han headed away. She smiled in response, before focusing on where she and Han were headed.

“I can’t believe I have to work with that asshole,” Han grumbled.

Jyn really didn’t get what Han was complaining about. “At least he’s not going up the mountain.”

“No, he’ll just be at base camp, ordering everyone around.”

“I promise not to let him order me around.”

“I’m not worried about you,” Han said.

Jyn turned back, to look at Cassian, and found to her surprise that he was looking at her, watching her walk away. He didn’t flinch away from her gaze now that she had caught him.

“Come on,” Han said, impatiently tugging her away. “Don’t abandon me for _him_. Besides, no one’s even sure he likes women.”

Jyn tore her eyes from Cassian, incredulous. Word in the community was Cassian wouldn’t stay with you, not Cassian wouldn’t _sleep_ with you. Did Han actually believe what he was saying?

“What’s it to you?” Jyn asked. She and Han were not, had never been, an item. She knew in which direction Han’s heart lay, and it wasn’t with her. Besides, they were far too much alike. They’d end up killing one another. Though, thinking of how Han and Leia treated one another, Han seemed to like the constant threat of death.

Jyn looked at K2. Yeah, Han definitely liked the constant threat of death.

“Nothing, I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

Jyn tilted her head, giving Han an incredulous look. “Since when did that happen?” When Han, who had known her since college, opened his mouth, Jyn hastily added, “With men, I mean.”

Han regarded her, the corner of his mouth curling up in a way that made him incredibly handsome, though Jyn knew the arrogance behind it, and the vulnerability behind the arrogance. “True. The two of you would be quite a match.”

Jyn narrowed her eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Ah, well…” Han ran his hand through his hair. “I need to go see Chewy about the supplies.”

“We’re on our way to see Chewy. What did you mean by the two of us being quite a match?”

“Nothing! I didn’t mean anything by it.”

“If you don’t tell me, I’ll make Bodhi.”

Han’s jaw clenched. To spare Bodhi, he finally said, “No one’s sure you even like men.”

“WHAT?” Jyn asked, outraged. She had certainly had enough flings with her fellow mountaineers for no one to believe that.

“I mean, you do treat them roughly.”

“People think I don’t like men because I sleep with them and ditch them? How can you people be so fragile, you climb the most dangerous mountains in the word, for fuck’s sake!”

Han’s hands were raised in a defensive position in front of him. “Look, I’m just passing along rumors. Don’t shoot the messenger.”

“I don’t have a gun.”

“You could probably find one.”

Jyn looked around. She knew who amongst their party had weapons and where they hid them. “We should see Chewy about the supplies,” she said, moving away, and Han followed.

Later that evening, Jyn showed up at Cassian’s tent, unannounced. “What some company?” she asked, through the open flap.

Cassian looked up from the diary he was working on and gave her a smile. “Sure,” he said, setting it aside.

Jyn crawled in.

“How come you’re not climbing?” Cassian asked, once she had made herself comfortable. “Is Solo not letting you?”

Jyn snorted. “As if he could’ve stopped me if I want to go.” Cassian raised an eyebrow. “It’s not that. I just don’t have a death wish.”

“Is that why you think we do this? Because there are easier ways to die.”

Jyn shook her head, looking away from him. “No, I-” she paused, frustrated, not sure she wanted to admit this. But she looked back at Cassian, whose eyes had gone hard, and decided she owed him an explanation. “It would be for me,” she said quietly. “I’m too reckless. Even normal people have difficulty making good decisions on so little oxygen. I wouldn’t do it well. Climbing a mountain like K2 is about finding your limits. I already know mine.”

“Then why come all the way out here?” he asked.

Jyn relaxed a bit. He had seemed to accept her answer, and wasn’t mad at her for it. “I was mad at my parents.”

Cassian’s smile spread across his face as he watched her. “This is a pretty extreme form of rebellion.”

She couldn’t help but smile back. “I know.”

“Would you like to stay?” Cassian asked, playing with his lip.

In answer, Jyn moved closer, pulling him by the jacket he was still wearing, even in the tent. Jyn found that fact amusing, though she was going to work to change it.

*

After the teams had set out up the mountain, Jyn and Cassian and the rest of the support staff were left at base camp. Jyn suggested to Cassian they explore the surrounding area, to which he had readily agreed. They had to be careful, as there were plenty of rock falls, snow and ice that weren’t any safer than what was on the mountain.

Cassian, though, was far from reckless, as he picked his way over various obstacles, making sure his foundation was firm before moving on to tackle the next one. Jyn couldn’t remember enjoying watching someone like this, as she found his fluid, sure movements mesmerizing.

He stopped along a rock face, waiting patiently for her to catch up.

“I feel like I belong here,” said Cassian, looking back over his shoulder at the mountain, rising like a snow-covered pyramid out of the flat plane surrounding it.

Jyn watched him, looking at K2, the breeze playing with his hair, and the fur lining of his coat. She had never really felt like she belonged anywhere. The mountains didn’t call to her, like they did for so many people, she climbed them for the challenge, and to leave other challenges behind.

The fact that Cassian felt like he belonged here, in a desolate landscape devoid of life, facing an obstacle few would ever successfully climb, and many would die trying, left Jyn wondering what his life had been like to bring him to this point. Cassian’s past was filled with few details before he appeared on the mountaineering scene, and he had never filled in the blanks, leaving only idle, vague gossip.

Jyn felt an ache in her chest, and reached out to him, turning his face to her, her hand on his jaw, running her fingers along his rough beard. Cassian stared at her, surprise on his face, but he didn’t pull away. Jyn turned him further, pressing kissing along his jaw.

Cassian lifted a hand from the rock, and cupping her face, pulled her lips to his. His kiss was hard, wanting.

Jyn pulled back, panting, allowing Cassian to run his rough, calloused thumb over her wet lower lip. She stared at him, as the fading light hit his eyes.

“We should head back,” Cassian said softly.

Jyn nodded. As he turned to leave, she wondered if Han’s concerns about her getting hurt had been justified.


End file.
